


Under the Big Top

by betheflame



Series: Stony Bingo 2019 [9]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1940s, Alternate Universe - Circus, Alternate Universe - No Powers, BAMF Bucky Barnes, BAMF Pepper Potts, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Protective Pepper Potts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22334404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betheflame/pseuds/betheflame
Summary: Stark's Singular Sensation Circus is in dire financial straits. Thankfully, one of Tony's inventions may look like it can save the day.For Cap-IM Bingo Round Two: Square S1: Circus AU
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Stony Bingo 2019 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1454416
Comments: 11
Kudos: 101
Collections: Captain America/Iron Man Bingo





	Under the Big Top

**Author's Note:**

> I realized I needed one more fill for Stony bingo and this fell out. It's ridiculous and the dialogue is not period appropriate and blargh, but hopefully it's a fun wee one-shot for y'all.
> 
> For Cap-IM Bingo Round Two: Square S1: Circus AU

Tony ran his fingers through his hair for the fourteenth time that hour, praying that maybe he could physically pull ideas from his head by doing so. He’d been staring at the books for days and he couldn’t figure out how they were going to make past Peoria.

Stark’s Singular Sensation Circus had been rolling through the heartlands of America for ten years, but the public tastes for entertainment were changing. Plus, Roosevelt was going to have to enter this war soon and Tony wasn’t stupid - that would mean the end of disposable income for most Americans. Taxes would go up and it wouldn’t surprise him if they’d rip up some of the rail lines to make weapons.

He looked out the window of the office boxcar to see his strongman and the love of his life, Steve Rogers, playing with some of the local children. _We should have called him human jungle gym_ , Tony mused. With him was their fire eater, Natasha Romanova, their tightrope walker and acrobat, Clinton Barton, and their lion tamer, Sam Wison.

Every time someone walked out of their performances muttering racial slurs about Sam, Tony took great glee in sending his two security guards after them. Thor and Hulk came by their nicknames honestly.

“Knock knock,” came the sound from his office door.

Tony looked up to see Virginia Potts Stark in the doorway - his public wife and private best friend.

“Hey Pep,” he smiled, forced though it was.

“You can’t just make dollars appear out of thin air, Tony,” Pepper smiled sadly and produced a plate of potato salad and chopped hot dog. It was standard lunch fare for the cast and crew and Pepper was the one who made sure they were all fed, watered, and rested while performing death defying acts.

“Well, I’m going to have to figure out how,” Tony sighed. “Unless Sandusky can advance pay, I’m not sure we have the money for the coal to get there.”

“You’ll think of something,” she assured him. “You always do.”

She took her leave, not before reminding him that he had a meet and greet with the city council that night, and he was alone again.

* * *

“So, how does it work?”

Steve ducked his head and lowered his voice. “There’s a spring that ejects it for me.”

The man sitting across the table from him, dressed in as fine a suit as Steve had ever seen, had a broad smile on his face. James “Call Me Bucky” Barnes had been at every single one of their performances in Kansas City and Steve had yet to figure out why. The man was clearly an industrialist of some sort - or at least had the money of one - and so surely he had better things to do than watch Nat fly through the air wearing sequins.

Although, Steve mused, maybe not. Nat was a sight to behold.

“So how much can you lift normally?”

“About 300lbs,” Steve confessed. “But we need a bit of -”

“Razzle dazzle,” Bucky interrupted. “Makes sense. The showmanship is what sells.”

“It was Tony’s idea, all of it,” Steve replied and was unable to keep the pride out of his voice. He’d been in love with Tony Stark since he’d joined the circus six years back. But their business wouldn’t survive the public knowing about them, so they were grateful that Pepper had volunteered to be Tony’s public partner.

_“I have no interest in all of that,” she waved her hand, as though to indicate children, marriage, and a mortgage. “I want to see the world and you two numbskulls are my best option to do it. So I have to pretend to be married to my best friend so that we can keep this thing open? I believe I can make the sacrifice.”_

_Steve started crying and both men were hugging Pepper faster than she could blink._

_“Pep,” Steve said, hiccuping his way through, “you have-”_

_She cut him off with a kiss to his temple. “Just love him like he deserves,” she whispered, and Steve nodded in solemn vow._

Steve was careful to not let anyone outside of their rag-tag family know that he and Tony were more than colleagues, but sometimes… Sometimes when he talked about Tony, Steve knew it bled through in his voice.

Thankfully, either Barnes didn’t notice or didn’t care, because he continued like a kid in a candy store. “Do you think, I mean, is there any way…”

“What?”

“Could I get a tour?”

“I don’t see why not,” Steve said. “Are you free to go to the fairgrounds now?”

Bucky nodded. “I’ll just tell Louise to put this on my tab and we’ll head out.”

Before long, Steve was climbing into Bucky’s [Packard Twelve](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard_Twelve) and heading for the grounds. When they got there, Steve guided Bucky straight to the boxcar that served as Tony’s office (and their bedroom, behind a secret panel Tony had installed himself).

“Tony?” Steve knocked on the door and his breath caught slightly, just like it always did when he saw his boyfriend.

Tony looked up and turned his thousand megawatt smile onto Bucky. “Well, if it isn’t the sharp dressed fella who’s been in the third row this whole week. Glad to meet you.” Tony rounded his desk and offered his hand. “Tony Stark.”

“Ringmaster and operator of Stark’s Singular Sensation,” Bucky clasped Tony’s hand enthusiastically. “You need no introduction, sir. I’m James Barnes, but please call me Bucky.”

“Okay, Bucky,” Tony gestured to the couch, inviting Bucky to sit down. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, I’m a fan,” Bucky said with a laugh. “Which may come as no surprise since I’m here all the time.”

“You do draw the eye,” Tony smiled and Steve’s breath caught. Tony flirted like he breathed, but it scared Steve sometimes.

Again, Bucky proved immune to gay panic. “I’d hope so. I’m in the clothing business. These are my designs I’m wearing.”

Tony whistled appreciatively and Bucky continued.

“I’ve been watching all of your costumes all week, and I can’t figure out how they both stay in place and stretch completely. I figured they’re probably not magic,” Bucky laughed, “but they’re some sort of voodoo. When I ran into Steve the Strongman here down at Woolworth’s, we got to having a chin wag and I imposed on him to offer me a tour. Had to check for elves.”

Tony and Steve both laughed and Steve jumped in to answer. “Tony makes all our costumes, with help from Pepper and Clint. But the fabric we all wear is something he invented.”

“You invented the voodoo material?” Bucky’s jaw was slack.

“He’s going to say that it was a team effort and we all helped with making improvements,” Steve said before Tony could say a word. “But yes, he invented it.”

“Well, then,” Bucky smiled. “It’s a truly fortuitous day, Mr. Stark, because I want to launch a line of swimming costumes and your fabric is just what I need to do it. Are you interested in selling the formula?”

Tony shook his head. “I have a patent on it already.”

“No problem,” Bucky waved his hand. “Sounds like we need to talk partnership instead.”

Tony blinked rapid fire for a few moments and then looked at Steve. “Steven, can you fetch Pep for me?”

Steve smiled broadly, knowing that meant Tony was going to take the man seriously. Pepper handled all the business negotiations after Tony had famously given away too many tickets one weekend because the “kids were too cute”.

* * *

“He saved us,” Tony said to Steve as they laid in bed several weeks later while the train chugged towards its next stop. “He actually saved this entire thing.”

“I’m glad we told him,” Steve added. “I’d hate to have that hanging over our head.”

“Well, if I had to choose between going into business with someone who wouldn’t let me love you or going hungry, I’d choose hungry,” Tony said firmly.

“And I like the idea of settling down,” Steve replied after a firm kiss to Tony’s temple. “Although it’ll be easier to be caught.”

Tony shook his head. “Buck and I talked about it. We’re done after Peoria. I’m going to buy a big plot of land outside Kansas City and build a house where we can all live together. We’ll do training schools and demonstrations and still travel a bit, but this gets us off the rails and into a home. Peter and Harley can go to school. You and I can work on cars, Pep can run the world.”

“Harley is going to hate that,” Steve laughed.

“Nat will scare him into going,” Tony grinned as he kissed Steve lazily.

“Speaking of Nat,” Steve remarked after Tony broke the kiss.

“Pep said it’s none of our business, which of course means she and Buckaroo are courting.”

Steve laughed and pulled Tony back in for a longer kiss. Hands wandered and breaths caught and, after, Tony slept perfectly for the first time in months - safe in the arms of his lover, with America rolling by out the window, and the promise of a balanced profit sheet for years to come.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/betheflame1) or [Tumblr](http://betheflame.tumblr.com) for more on these yahoos. You can also submit prompts and cajole me into writing faster - it usually works. If you're on Discord, I'm definitely there, too, and probably hanging in the [Stony](https://discord.gg/z5WSqbS) or [Stuckony](https://discord.gg/jtXcc3n) servers.


End file.
